The Male Leads

"My princess, a new butler has been assigned to you," the lady in waiting told me, interrupting my thoughts.

I knew who it was right away... the butler... with silver hair and ocean blue eyes, and lips that make you want to instantly kiss...

I shook my head, I wrote this so I should be prepared, "Yes, the old butler married and stayed in the suburbs," I said, forgetting I should not have revealed my knowledge of something that has not even been discussed.

"Do you want to meet him, your highness?" the old maid said as I nodded my head and prepared myself for the assault at my senses.

And yet, I was taken aback at how handsome Daisuke is. His aquamarine eyes that remind you of the sea. That gentlemanly bow upon his presentment, and the god-like way he carried the uniform so perfectly.

"Daisuke," I couldn't help but say his name, as his eyes bore into mine. I forgot that I'm not even supposed to know his name.

"Ahem. Yes, your highness," he smiled ever so respectfully, and yet the deep baritone of his voice made me feel like he just told me something dirty.

In the novel I have written, the antagonist was too cruel to the protagonist such that her own butler will have no option but to kill her.

After which, like in any classic otome-game, he shall end up with the princess, the sibling I have maltreated all my life.

I smiled, a smile I hoped looked genuine at least. I need his trust and I need his loyalty. I don't want to die by my handsome butler's hands!

"Rise, Daisuke Kane, you shall be my own personal butler," I declared.

Let's see if you can plan to kill me after I shower you with my fake kindness! I don't want to die by your hands looking into those beautiful blue eyes as I succumb to my death.

x x x x

Two days after Daisuke arrived, the duke of Meredith a.k.a. the Casanova of our kingdom, Paris Le'blanc, finally visited.

In the story, he and the villainess are childhood friends but after knowing the extent of the villainess's evil plans, he chose to save the protagonist instead, betraying the villainess and causing her untimely demise.

Like any classic otome game, Paris's alternative story ended with him marrying the protagonist after the evil villainess's death.

To be fair, Paris's loyalty should have been to the villainess since they have been friends for a long time. But just because of the beautiful goddess-like beauty that the protagonist is, she managed to seduce the villainess's very own best friend.

This time, instead of planning to make Paris fall in love with me, I will be the bridge that will make the protagonist fall in love with him.

"This is how I will change my fate, Aja!" I raised my hand as I said the line, convincing myself of the remarkable plan I have concocted, to escape this life intact.

But before I can realize he was near, his strong arms enveloped me, his chin resting on my neck.

"I missed you so much, Maru," Paris's solemn voice was far from the usual mischievous tone he usually uses.

"Why are you not responding to my letters while I was away?" the duke asked, almost as if pleading for me to answer.

I'm wrong, he just cares for me as his old dear friend, nothing more. I corrected myself. I wrote this myself, so I know more than anyone that his Casanova nature allows him to be this sweet without having an ounce of romantic feelings.

I removed his arms around me and turned to meet his fiery golden eyes. The eyes of a fox knowing he is to hunt, and yet, he doesn't look threatening at all.

He looks as kind as a teddy bear, well, regardless of him being so handsome to be compared to a plushy stuffed toy.

I took a step back to calm the fast beating of my heart, it was the antagonist's curse to face the pink-haired boy she loved all her life and to know he will never be hers.

I tried to smile, but even when I did, my heart broke just as well. The lines blur between reality and fiction when I look into his eyes.

He smiled mischievously and said, "Since you have ignored my pain throughout these months, then surely you must pay."

"What do you have in mind?" I said as I ran far away from him, even knowing I'll never be able to escape.

Sure enough, I was there again, caught in Paris's arms, feeling the heat from his skin radiating to mine and hearing his hoarse baritone voice whisper into my ears, "I missed you so much, Maru."

Like a loon, I closed my eyes. Heavens help me, this Casanova is really something! I must have the courage to change my fate!

x x x x

Before I can regain my composure to push Paris away, I heard my fiance's calm voice from behind me.

"I hope you can remove your hands, gentleman. Well, that is, if you choose to see them attached to you," Rin Saito, the prince of Selene said in his usual expressionless voice.

I pushed Paris away and curtsied before his royal highness. Yes, the prince of the neighboring kingdom... my fiance.

In the novel, I have despised the idea of a loveless marriage. I have despised everything about Rin Saito.

From his cruel eyes, expressionless perfect face, wicked lips. No, the villainess cannot love someone as cold as Rin. Hence, she took lovers left and right, seeking the kind of warmth she thought she deserved.

As expected of an otome-game narration, Rin found out about her affairs and ordered a public execution. Whereby, the villainess lost her head.

Months after the villainess's death, Rin will meet the protagonist who will be forced to marry him in the villainess's place, and successfully melt the ice-cold heart of the crown prince.

Such were the cruel alternative stories I have written for myself. I was like a person who placed bullets in a gun that will be used to kill me.

The villainess is never supposed to have a happy ending, not even in a single one of those alternative fates. But, I won't allow it!

This time I'll be contented with a loveless marriage. I will proceed with marrying the crown prince and later on propose to him a divorce, when he falls for the goddess-like sibling I was cursed to have.

I smiled at the prince, and walked towards him, then ever so softly, kissed him on his cheek.

The fair white skin of Rin turned rosy-red, maybe from the shock of it all. It wasn't usual for the princess to do this to her fiance after all.

Giving him my sweetest smile, I said in a cheerful voice, "Welcome home, Rin."

x x x x

Author's note: An otome-game narrative allows for different male leads and different alternative routes as well as happy endings.

It is fast-paced and usually not that long of a novel, but makes up for it by having alternative routes, endings, and even sweet side stories.

Some of the most successful otome games even create parallel universes. I hope one day we can do that too in here.

As an otome-game addict, I do write in the same way. If you want to check out my other books on Webnovel, the titles are: "Bewitching Illusions", and "The Male Lead is Obsessed with Me", and "His Dark Desire: Tales of a Yandere."